This week we started off with another fairy tale inspired game. Featuring both evil stepmothers and fairy godparents (the kids wanted it to be a gender neutral title for the boys), everyone else took on the role of Cinderella. As a whole it was a twist on freeze tag where if you were frozen by the taggers only the fairy godparents could save you. The kids seemed to enjoy getting to run around and be a little silly, especially when they had to be frozen calling out to all their friends to save them. We finished off our game time with a game of duck duck goose requested by the kids.

After everyone was a little tired out, us included, we split up into our separate groups to spend a little time focused on the stories. By group chose to read a picture book version of “The Three Billy Goats Gruff.” I’ve always considered this a more obscure fairy tale so I personally was very surprised when the majority of the kids in our group had heard it before. As we were reading it they were telling us what was coming next and making predictions about how they parts they did not quite remember would end. They also seemed to enjoy the pictures that went along with the story, commenting on the ugliness of the troll and the increasing size of the goals.

We then proceeded to draw pictures of scenes from the story. All of us chose similar scenes featuring three goats and an ugly troll under the bridge. I was excited about how interested the kids were with coloring this week, as last week their was less focus on their own pictures and more about comparing them with ours. By the end of the group time everyone had great pictures covering their paper.

We finished up the visit by playing the Sharks and Minnows/Going to Grandmother’s House game from last week. It was requested time and time again over the course of the visit and how could we deny them another chance to run around before they had to go back and sit down in the cafeteria.

The picture books seemed to be a hit. I had another little boy come over right at the end and ask to look at our story. He seemed really intrigued by the pictures in the book, thinking at first that we had drawn in the book ourselves. He flipped through the pages until the game at the end snagged his attention.

Over all it was a very good week. I think my favorite part was when before we started reading the story one of the girls in our group said she did not like books. But by the end of the story she loved it, and afterwards was carrying the book around with her. I wished so much that it had not be a library book so that I did not have to take it back with me after the visit.

It’s going to be disappointing leaving after our session next week, I’ve had so much fun hanging out with these kids and getting to know them. I wish that we did not only have one day left with them.